Three States Approved Legal Marijuana During Midterm Elections

This year, cannabis advocates rocked the midterm elections in Michigan, Missouri, and Utah. North Dakota, however, experienced a loss for cannabis access.

Here’s a breakdown of how weed played out at the polls on Tuesday, November 6, and what it means for the rest of us.

Michigan

One of the most newsworthy victories is Michigan’s Proposal 1 win. The measure legalizes, taxes, and regulates recreational marijuana use for anyone 21 years of age and over. The Great Lakes State is the 10th to do this, now making recreational pot a reality for an entire fifth of the country.

According to The New York Times, nearly 56% of the state voted in favor of legalizing weed.

This is particularly significant because Michigan is the first state in the midwestern region to say yes to recreational use — only a few surrounding states have just medical marijuana policies. This means that no longer is recreational marijuana a coastal pleasure, and even the most middle of the country is waking up to the potential of a new marketplace.

Missouri

Missouri voters voted not on one, but three different cannabis measures: Amendment 2, Amendment 3, and Proposition C. According to St. Louis Public Radio, the major differences in the proposed policies revolve around how much cannabis products are taxed.

However, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) only endorsed Amendment 2 — which was the only one out of the three to successfully pass. “Amendment 2 is written in a manner that best provides for the needs of patients and their physicians,” the NORML statement said. The amendment regulates licensed production and distribution to qualified medical patients with certain conditions. The measure will tax marijuana products at 4% and go toward state regulating agencies, compared to the proposed 15% tax rate on the failed Amendment 3 plan.

Utah

Despite its reputation as a red state, Utah voters said yes to medical marijuana. Vox reports Proposition 2 allows approved patients under certain qualifying conditions, including HIV/AIDS and cancer, to receive medical marijuana. The fine print of the policy prohibits smoking, but allows patients to consume through vaping and eating approved cannabis products.

Although smoking is a preferred method of consumption to many, the groundbreaking detail of this legislation is that it allows for home-growing up to six plants and only if a patient lives more than 100 miles away from a licensed dispensary. Although Salt Lake City residents will miss out, this is a great opportunity for those living in rural areas to start growing their own plants in the comfort of their homes for personal medical use.

North Dakota

North Dakota voters struck down the proposed Measure 3, which would have legalized statewide recreational cannabis for anyone over 21. According to Vox, the measure only had 41% approval of voters while 59% opposed.

However, indigenous communities were suppressed from voting in this election, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In October, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of conservative voter laws that reportedly disenfranchised any voter without a street address, which includes any indigenous person living on a designated native reservation. The Measure 3 outcome may have been different if indigenous people had the power to go to the polls, or at least close the gap. Either way, it’s important to note that poll results aren’t representative of any voting population if marginalized people are intentionally excluded.

Elsewhere

While pot won big in three out of four states voting on marijuana measures, other states passed monumental reforms that could impact mass incarceration.

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Florida voted to restore voting rights to people previously convicted of felonies. Like many other states, illicit drug possession — including marijuana — may be classified as a felony charge in the Sunshine State. Time reports 64% of state voters were in favor of Amendment 4, which restores voting rights to about 1.4 million people with felony charges on their record, with the exception of murder and sex offense convictions.

Additionally, Marijuana Moment reports that five different cities in Ohio voted to decriminalize pot, potentially paving way for a future ballot measure in favor of statewide adult recreational use.

More and more, voters seem to be showing they want to keep people out of prison for nonviolent drug offenses.